title: Correlation between serum vitamin d level and the severity of atopic dermatitis associated with food sensitization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A growing body of literature has linked vitamin D deficiency with allergic diseases, particularly atopic dermatitis (AD). In this study, we investigated the association between serum vitamin D status and the clinical manifestation of AD. We also developed an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 157 patients (79 males and 78 females) with AD, aged 4 months to 56 years. We evaluated disease severity using the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. Serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were determined by LC coupled with MS/MS. Total IgE and specific IgE levels were assayed using the immunoCAP system. ANOVA was used for statistical evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found mild, moderate, and severe AD in 30 (11.1%), 87 (55.4%), and 40 (25.5%) patients, respectively. There was no significant correlation between serum levels of 25(OH)D3 and AD severity. However, among the 36 patients with food sensitization, the mean±SD serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were significantly higher (P<0.05) in patients with mild disease (21.2±5.18 ng/mL) compared with the levels in patients with moderate (17.9±4.02 ng/mL) or severe AD (13.3±5.11 ng/mL) disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that vitamin D deficiency is related to the severity of AD associated with food sensitization. Thus, these data suggest a role for vitamin D in a select group of AD patients.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Institute, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seon Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soyoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Hyun Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Hyung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye Yung
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yum
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; food allergy; vitamin D